FYTA 2.0: A Modular Smart System That Gives Plants a Voice
FYTA 2.0 is more than a plant sensor—it’s a complete, modular ecosystem that lets plants speak for themselves. Evolving from the success of the original FYTA Beam, this next-generation system brings real-time plant data, custom configurations, and connectivity anywhere, from urban balconies to remote garden plots.
We spoke with the FYTA team to learn how their modular sensors, flexible connectivity options, and deep integration with smart homes help users move beyond guesswork to truly understand and care for their plants. Whether you’re growing tomatoes, orchids, or hydroponics, FYTA 2.0 is about building relationships—with plants, nature, and technology.
The Evolution of FYTA: From Single Sensor to Modular Ecosystem
Since launching the original FYTA Beam, you’ve helped over 60,000 sensors reach plant owners worldwide. What led you to evolve FYTA into a full modular system, and how does FYTA 2.0 address the limitations of first-generation trackers?
We designed the first-generation Beam for houseplants in standard soil-based setups – and for that, it worked great. But once we launched, we quickly saw our community using FYTA in all kinds of unexpected ways: lawns, hydro systems, grow tents, outdoor setups far from WiFi, or with unusual potting mixes.
That’s when we hit the limits of what a single device could do, whether it was the measurements themselves or the hardware’s physical constraints. No one sensor can handle every use case. So with FYTA 2.0, we took a modular approach: users can now mix and match sensors and connectivity options based on their setup, budget, and needs. It’s a system that adapts to real-life growing environments—not the other way around.
Turning Plants into Data-Driven Companions
FYTA 2.0 tracks 13 key plant health metrics across indoor, outdoor, and hydroponic setups. How does having this real-time data change the way people care for plants—and why is it so important to move away from guesswork in plant care?
Plants are surprisingly complex. Their needs vary by species (and there are tens of thousands), but it doesn’t stop there—plants are incredibly adaptive. Their water, light, and nutrient needs shift depending on their environment, light exposure, and even their growth phase.
Your fern doesn’t want what your tomato needs. And your Venus flytrap? Totally different story. And yet… most people care for their plants on a fixed schedule.
That’s like feeding a room full of friendly aliens, each with different metabolisms and activity levels, the same meal, at the same time, and hoping for the best.
Some say they can see what their plants need but drooping leaves, yellowing, and crispy tips are all early signs of stress. If you want your plants to thrive, you need to prevent stress—not just react to it. And this is where data can help. It gives plants a voice, and helps us respond to what they need before stress sets in.
If we want to protect and connect with nature in a meaningful way, it starts by understanding it better. We help people build that relationship—through insights and positive growing experience.
Customization & Flexibility for Any Setup
With interchangeable probes, modular devices, and options for Bluetooth, WiFi, or LTE-M connectivity, FYTA adapts to nearly any plant environment. How did you approach building such a flexible ecosystem without overwhelming the average user?
That’s a great question. Flexibility always comes with the risk of complexity—but we were very intentional about keeping the experience simple.
In the Kickstarter campaign, getting started is easy: you just choose one of our curated starter sets based on how many plants you have and whether they’re indoors or outdoors. Everything else—probes, connectivity—comes pre-configured or can be customized before we ship.
When the new devices launch, our app will include a setup assistant. You’ll be able to add your plants, answer a few quick questions, and FYTA will recommend the best sensor configuration for your setup. We want flexibility to feel invisible.
The system is also fully dynamic: once you connect a device to the FYTA App—which literally takes just a few seconds—our sensors automatically find each other and link to the nearest gateway. That could be your phone, a FYTA Hub, or the Outdoor Beam, which acts as both a sensor and a gateway for nearby BLE devices.
It’s much easier than setting up, say, a home audio system.
Empowering Smart Homes and Gardeners Alike
FYTA 2.0 integrates with smart homes and even works without WiFi in remote gardens. How important was connectivity and accessibility in your design process—and how does the FYTA app tie everything together?
Connectivity was one of the biggest challenges we wanted to solve. Most smart gardening systems rely on WiFi, which immediately excludes people with gardens, balconies, or greenhouses that are just out of range. We wanted FYTA to work anywhere—even without home internet.
That’s why we introduced LTE-M as an option, alongside Bluetooth and WiFi. This way we can adapt to any environment.
Automations in a smart home environment happen – for now – through applications such Home Assistant, Homey, IFTT or Home Seer. Apple Home will be the next milestone for us.
Crowdfunding as a Collaborative Development Tool
You’ve emphasized that crowdfunding is about co-creating with your community, not just raising funds. How has your Kickstarter community shaped FYTA’s development, and what feedback or contributions surprised you most?
The backers of our first campaign have become some of our most loyal and active users, and we wouldn’t have FYTA 2.0 without them. Some of our best features came directly from user feedback and we’ve built a strong feedback loop: people can message us through the app, on WhatsApp, discord, social media – wherever works for them. Every suggestion gets to our product team.
What surprises us most is how engaged and generous people are with their ideas. Many of our users don’t just buy—they build with us. Most of the smart home integrations, for instance, were build by our users! So amazing.
Thank you to the FYTA team for showing us how technology can bring us closer to nature. With its adaptive sensors, thoughtful design, and a thriving user community, FYTA 2.0 is redefining plant care—not just as a task, but as a living, evolving connection. We’re excited to see this platform grow—one leaf, root, and insight at a time.
FYTA 2.0: Smart Fitness Tracker for Your Plants
About FYTA
Claudia Nassif and the FYTA team started their journey in Berlin in 2018, blending engineering, design, science, and a deep love of plants. What began as a search for better plant care tools grew into FYTA: a community-driven platform that helps people listen to their plants, understand their environments, and grow better—together. With FYTA 2.0, they continue to build a more connected, caring world through smarter gardening.
